Day 18: Vilar to Santiago. Arrival day!!

Today’s walk was quite strenuous, but knowing I was almost finished helped me push on. The last 20 km into Santiago is mostly uphill, and it was sunny and hot, which made the climb harder for me. I also felt pretty emotional today, missed my family, and spent a lot of the walk in my head, so it was a bit difficult. While I felt an overwhelming sense of pride for doing this hard thing by myself, for me life is meant to be shared with family and friends. 🥰
The emotions I felt during my walk came to a head when I entered the square at the Santiago Cathedral. It was a little overwhelming. There were at least a couple hundred other pilgrims gathered there, celebrating, taking photos, laughing, crying, and reflecting, some alone and some in groups. I found a spot to sit for a while and feel my feelings. I felt grateful to be there and I let it all out. It’s an experience I hope I never forget.

After finding my little albergue (Hostal Alfonso, €60 for private room w/ bath, breakfast included) and getting a much needed shower, I went back to the cathedral and met my German friends Lena and Marlon there. They were a day ahead of me and arrived yesterday. I spent the evening with them and enjoyed reflecting on this incredible experience with them. People talk about a Camino family, and I think that speaks to our need to connect with others and share experiences. I’ve met a lot of interesting and cool people on this journey, and even though I only spoke with some of them for a few minutes, there’s still a connection through this shared experience.

I also got my Compostela today, the official certificate showing I walked 260+ km from Porto to Santiago. 🙀

Foot report: I developed a small blister on that hotspot on the edge of my left heel. I think, changing my stride to protect my shins also caused a little different movement in my shoe which led to this blister. I used second skin and KT tape and was able to walk without much trouble, but blisters are no fun and I can’t believe I developed one on the last day! It takes me about 20 minutes to get my shoes on each morning because of all of the steps I’ve been taking to avoid blisters. I would say the fact that I only developed one small blister on the last day means I was pretty successful. 👍 I think it’s hard to get through a 260 km hike with no foot issues!Read more